Justice for future generations: environment discourses, international law and climate change

Philosophers, economists and political scientists have written a great deal about intergenerational equity. Curiously, however, with the notable exception of Edith Brown Weiss's In Fairness to Future Generations, there has been a paucity of writing by international lawyers on the subject. This chapter proceeds on the basis that fresh insights can be gained from the concept of intergenerational equity by using discourse analysis and drawing upon philosophical literature.